Initiation
by X-Vampire-Priestess-X
Summary: Arthur is an apprentice to a Black Magician and is ready to become one with the coven. He must first pass several tests, but what happens when his final test back fires and ends up unleashing a ruthless vampire named Gilbert, who sets his eyes on him?


Emerald eyes looked up into a clear night sky. Small shimmering specks that were known as stars were visible all over the ashen sky. The eyes drifted over the bright moon, noting that it was in its waning phase. Waning Gibbous to be precise. To Arthur, this was more than a perfect night, especially as it was his initiation night into the rites and passage of practicing Black Magic and becoming part of the coven his master belonged to. He looked down at the soft grass he was currently treading over with bare feet. Arthur had been working hard for many months with his master, who was walking beside him, in preparation for his initiation and becoming a novice in the ranks of the coven.

Arthur looked up as he and his master approached a large stone building which seemed to be the remains of what was probably a church or some kind of chapel and was covered in moss and vine. His gaze then averted to his master who was a large man with thinning hair and a slightly bulging waistline, though this was hidden by the man's billowing cloak, its hood over his head and one of which the boy wore himself. Arthur looked back at the stone ruins, remembering had been told to refer to his master with his given coven name while inside this place and that if he wished to be addressed, then Arthur was to use his own given name he and his master had come up with.

As they got closer to the entrance to the ruins, Arthur felt a little nervousness wash over him. He had been told by his master that for most of his initiation, he would be naked as to be come one with all the elements in a more natural way. Getting naked wasn't a problem, but getting naked in front of people, of whom he'd never meet before was a bit daunting to the boy. He felt a hand on his shoulder and immediately looked up to his master.

"Do not feel nervous, Tea Leaf. These people will not hurt you, even if you are just a Cowan at the moment. Remember, we have prepared you for this initiation for many months, haven't we?" His master said in a soft voice, smiling at his apprentice.

"Yes we have master…Oh sorry, I mean Black Horn" Arthur spoke, giving a nervous laugh.

"I'm sure you'll start to feel more comfortable as the initiation tests begin to unfold…Now keep close to me" His master said and walked into the entrance first. Arthur listened to his master's wishes and stuck close behind him as he started to become engulfed in darkness. Arthur held his hand out against the wall to keep his sense of direction, feeling damp brick and furry moss underneath his fingertips. From what he could only guess, there was a small passage that lead into the first part of the entrance, where it then gave way to a stairwell that went deeper underneath the foundations of the ruins above. As Arthur and his master descended the stairs for what seemed like an eternity, the boy managed to see a small flicker of light ahead as he looked past his master's body.

"And remember Tea Leaf, do everything you are asked with no questions or hesitation, okay?" His master whispered, turning his head slightly so Arthur was able to hear him.

"Yes Black Horn" Arthur replied. As they made it out of the small stairwell and into the light of the lower foundations, Arthur's expectations were completely wiped away. The place was so different to what he had expected and interpreted from his master's descriptions of various meeting places. The light source was from many candles lit all around the large room he was in. Around him were a few stone sitting places and archways leading into other rooms. On the walls were symbols and what appeared to be inscriptions. He could make out a few pentagrams, ankhs and some zodiac symbols, but the rest he couldn't interpret. There were also a lot of people in cloaks walking around too. Some were in small groups, others by themselves carrying very old looking books, bags with ingredients, or various tools that were involved in the making of potions or small rituals.

As he looked around more, he noticed a few people were looking at him. Then he remembered that he was new and no one had ever seen him before, which he assumed was to cause much gossip among this covens members. Starting to feel nervous from all the looks, he turned back to his master to see that he was now talking with another man who looked far older than his master. Arthur would have placed him in his late seventies with all those wrinkles and the greying of the man's hair. Before Arthur could make further observations to the new face, both the old man and his master had turned to look at him.

"Old Wolf, this is my apprentice Tea Leaf" Black Horn said. The old man, who was now to be addressed as Old Wolf, gave Arthur the once over and gave a small grunt.

"Tea Leaf, this is my former master Old Wolf, and is the covens High Priest. He will also be doing your initiation with you" Black Horn stated. Arthur paled slightly but managed to keep his composure. If this man was a High Priest then Arthur had to show the utmost respect and try not to mess anything up with the new added pressure on his shoulders. Arthur was about to exchange pleasantries with the man, when the other spoke before him.

"Are you absolutely sure you are ready for your initiation? Your tests will not be easy to complete and will put a strain on your body both mentally and physically" Old Wolf said in a low, strained voice. Arthur nodded almost immediately.

"I am ready for my tests" He said, looking the wrinkled man in the eyes.

"Very well. You will follow me now to begin your initiation and your first test" Old Wolf said firmly and turned to walk. Arthur nodded again and was about to follow the High Priest when his master stopped him.

"Tea Leaf, I cannot be with you for most of your initiation tests as to create a fair testing environment. Some masters have been known to, or assumed to have, influenced passes on their apprentice's tests. However, I will be with you for your last and final test to see how much you have learned from what I have taught you. Good luck Tea Leaf, I know you can pass these tests" His master whispered to him and began walking off in the opposite direction. This was perfect. Arthur was now going to be left alone with strangers and had absolutely no idea what was going to happen.

Arthur hurriedly followed Old Wolf and was lead down a small corridor where the light seemed to get less and less, save for one or two candles along the way. He was lead into a room where he noticed two more people, most likely coven members, were waiting by a circular stone pool of some kind. There was water in the pool and he guessed this had to do with his first test. Old Wolf then turned to him.

"Your first four tests will be on the four elemental forms of water, fire, air and earth and will also test your mental skill of mind over matter. Your first test is on the element of water. Please remove your cloak and step into this pool so your test can begin" Old Wolf explained. Arthur nodded in acknowledgement and began to take off his cloak. He mentally cursed that it was the only thing covering his body. Aside from a silver pentagram pendant he wore on a thin leather strap and a matching silver ring, he was practically naked. He didn't know why, but the covens that practiced Black Magic seemed to enjoy only wearing just a cloak. Letting his cloak fall to the floor, Arthur approached the pool and stepped in. He let out a small gasp as he was covered up to his waist in ice cold water. How the hell could anyone put up with this temperature, Arthur didn't know. However, he tried his best to stay composed and he turned to Old Wolf for further instruction.

"You will remain in this pool for three minutes. You must focus your mind and block out all feeling. Any shivering or asking for the test to stop before the three minutes is up and you will have failed. When you are ready, you must immerse yourself fully under the water so no part of you is dry. Your time will start when you come back up" Old Wolf said. Arthur took a deep breath and closed his eyes, clearing his mind of all thought and feeling. He could feel the harsh bite of the ice cold water slowly start to fade after a while and it became a dull sensation. Taking another deep breath and holding it, he submerged himself under the water and after a couple of seconds, he resurfaced.

His blonde hair now stuck to his face and fell over his eyes, which he became a little disgruntled about, but let it slide. After simply using a hand to brush his hair back and wipe the water from his eyes, he closed his eyes again and started to breathe more calmly setting his mind to the task he'd been given. A few times he felt like he wanted to give a little shiver, but he suppressed it and focused hard to show no signs of discomfort. He kept this up until he heard Old Wolf clear his throat. Arthur slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the High Priest.

"Your time is up and you may now get out of the pool" Old Wolf said. Arthur gave a little smile, mentally applauding himself for doing well and got out of the water. He walked back over to where his cloak lay and hastily put it back on, wrapping it tightly around himself as he felt the cold air hit his wet body and using a little of it to dry his face. He looked at his hands and saw the tips had gone a slight pale purple colour as well as feeling numb, like most of his body felt. After assessing himself, he looked back to Old Wolf.

"Please follow me to your next test" Old Wolf asked and started to walk out of the small room. Arthur followed with obedience and soon found himself in a larger room than the last one. This room also had another two coven members waiting inside, this time beside a medium sized fire. Small bricks were built around the bottom of the fire, most likely to contain it. The fire was significant to this test, but Arthur couldn't guess what he would have to do.

"_Wait…They aren't going to throw me into this are they?_" Arthur thought and swallowed a small lump in his throat as worry started to build in him. He was about to go on thinking of all the horrible possibilities to do with this single fire, when he noticed Old Wolf step closer to him out the corner of his eye.

"Your second test is on the element of fire. You must also use mind over matter in this test, so please remove your cloak and step towards the fire. You must be close enough so your will feel the heat start to burn at your skin, but not close enough so any lasting damage will occur" Old Wolf said, gesturing toward the fire. Sweat started to form on Arthur's brow and it wasn't because of the heat. Still wary of what was to come, he removed his cloak for a second time and stepped toward the fire. The heat was so intense from the fire, making his skin start to break out in pain all over and feel as though there were little tiny fires burning in his nerve endings. But Arthur was going to get through this like he did the last test and like he will do with the others.

"Are you ready to begin?" Old Wolf asked.

"Yes I am, High Priest" Arthur replied, closing his eyes once more to be able to concentrate on clearing his mind. Having stood in front of the fire for a while, his body was now glistening with sweat and a couple of droplets ran down the contours of his body. This test proved to be a little harder that the last. He was able to block out most of the pain, but not all of it. And every time a droplet of sweat would run down his face, he would lose his concentration ever so slightly, but enough for the pain he felt to increase little by little. But he held out until the end and was more than happy when Old Wolf said the test was over.

Arthur let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and slowly walked away from the fire and its painful heat. He was about to pick up his cloak when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to meet Old Wolf's grey eyes.

"Before you can dress yourself, there is one more thing that must be done and I will need you to remove your pendant for it" The old man requested. Arthur looked down at his pendant for a moment. He knew better than to question this man and proceeded to reach behind his neck and undo the knot on the leather strap that kept the pendant around his neck. He gave it to Old Wolf, who then slid the pendant itself off the strap, handing the unwanted leather back to Arthur. The old man walked towards the fire and dropped the pendant into it. Arthur's brows furrowed and clutched the leather strap. He wanted to ask why Old Wolf had done that, but retracted that though and knew there was a perfectly good reason for it.

However, doubt began to cross his mind when the two coven members who had seemed to be part of the background until now, moved forward towards Arthur. Before he knew it, they had grabbed his arms and had turned him so his back was facing Old Wolf. The man in question was now fishing out the pendant with a make shift fire poker. Having successfully extracted the silver item, Old Wolf used a piece of his cloak to protect his fingers as he clamped them around the now extremely hot pendant. Arthur tried to turn his head to see what was going on, but his attempts were in vain.

"All coven members must have a brand and it would be best if we gave you yours now" Old Wolf stated, coming closer to Arthur's back. The boy's mind raced for answers as he wondered what the man meant by 'a brand'. By time the answer came to him it was too late. He let out a hiss as he felt searing pain in between his shoulder blades and struggled against the hands on his arms. Old Wolf pressed and held the pendant down for a few moments, before pulling it away to reveal a pentagram shaped brand left on the boy's flesh. Arthur was then let go and he straightened himself up before turning to face Old Wolf, emerald eyes locking onto grey ones. Neither exchanged words, but the emotions sent and received through their stares was enough to compensate for lack of words. Old Wolf gave back the now cooled pendant to Arthur and walked past the boy.

"Your next two tests will be outside, for the elements of earth and wind. Follow me" The old man said and began walking off. Arthur looked down at the pendant for a moment, before looking back to Old Wolf. What Arthur wanted to say was best left unsaid and he scooped up his cloak and trotted after the High Priest. He was lead back into the room he'd first met Old Wolf and found himself going back up the damp, moss covered passage he'd come down in. It was only when he got outside he realized that three coven members had followed behind them. He looked on and saw a small circle of candles, the only light in the outside world other than the moon.

"Your third test will be on the element of air. This particular test may seem easy, but it is not. The mind over matter rule does not necessarily apply to this, but you will need to have a clear and focused mind and keep your eyes closed. No matter what you hear, you must not open your eyes until I say so. Is that clear?" The High Priest asked.

"Yes, I understand" Arthur replied. He got the feeling something very unpleasant was about to happen.

"Then when you are ready, please step in the middle of the candles" Old Wolf requested. Arthur, having fixed his pendant on the walk to the outside, set his cloak on the leaf covered ground and proceeded toward the candles. Mentally preparing himself for a moment, he stepped into the circle of candles. Arthur wasn't sure exactly what he should be doing, other than keeping a focused mind.

He turned his head slightly when he heard chanting from behind him, seeing Old Wolf and the three coven members in a line facing him, holding their hands out in front of them and chanting in a language he didn't understand. A fast and howling wind seemed to pick up, racing through the trees and bushes around him. Leaves started to fly about in every direction, being carried on by this sudden change in weather. However, he regained composure and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm himself and focus his mind.

_Ar…Thur…_

"_What the bloody hell was that?_" Arthur thought, but dared not open his eyes.

_Look at us…Arthur…Look at us…_

This was freaking him out now. Whatever was calling to him was most likely what he was warned about. He wanted to look, but was afraid of what could happen, not to mention he would fail this test.

_Come on, Arthur…Look…You must look…_

It couldn't be the wind, could it? Surely not, the wind cannot speak…Or can it…

_LOOK AT US! _

Arthur hated Banshees. He'd never seen one, but had heard and read about how disfigured they are. He'd even heard of some cases where people were killed after seeing a Banshee. This made him shut his eyes tighter. He definitely wasn't going to look now.

"_Go away!"_ He shouted in his mind, hoping that they would hear him and take heed to his words. Oh they heard him, but only took it as more reason for torment.

_We can't go away until you look at us, Arthur Kirkland…Little Tea Leaf…_

"_I won't look at you!"_ He mentally retorted back.

_Then we will make you!_

Arthur felt a strong wind blow directly at him, but mostly felt the force on his chest. Perhaps they were trying to possess him, using the wind as a vessel to get into his body. This assumption only made Arthur more nervous, but he was still trying his best to regain control of himself. Another strong wing came, this time from behind him and almost made him lose balanced. Now it seemed the banshees where trying to make him fall, to hurt him. Arthur now knew it was a test of endurance, more so than the other previous tests. He could still vaguely hear the coven members chanting, but it was slowly being lost to the screeching of the banshees.

But Arthur held firm against these wind creatures. He wasn't going to give up easily. They kept on battering him with strong winds, kept on trying to mentally break him down. After a few more minutes of this endurance, the wind began to die down and the Banshees seemed to fade along with it. The others had no idea how relieved he was.

"You may open your eyes, Tea Leaf" Old Wolf said. Arthur cracked one eye open slowly and then the other. He looked around just to make sure they were really gone.

"You held out quite well against the Banshees. Not many like you pass the wind test" The Old Man said and turned round. Arthur let out a small smile. After hearing those words, all the fatigue he'd gained against the Banshees completely disappeared. So far he'd passed three out of four tests, just one more elemental test left. If he could hold up against Banshees and succeed where many others couldn't, this next test should be easy, even though it wasn't supposed to be.


End file.
